Methodology
Stamp duty (SDLT): calculations apply the current SDLT residential band structure for England and Northern Ireland. Bands are applied progressively to the purchase price — not as a single rate on the full amount. First-time buyer relief applies the zero-rate band to £300,000 and 5% on £300,001–£500,000. No relief applies above £500,000. The additional-property surcharge of 5% applies to the full purchase price for second homes and buy-to-let purchases.
LBTT (Scotland): calculations apply Revenue Scotland's current LBTT residential thresholds. The first-time buyer LBTT relief (nil rate up to £175,000) and Additional Dwelling Supplement (ADS) of 8% are applied where relevant. Scotland uses different thresholds from England — LBTT and SDLT results should never be mixed.
LTT (Wales): calculations apply Welsh Revenue Authority LTT rates and higher-rate treatment. Wales uses distinct thresholds and band structures from England. The higher-rate LTT surcharge applies for additional residential properties.
Conveyancing fees: the calculator uses a default estimate of £1,200 for legal fees. Users can edit this to match actual solicitor quotes. Typical UK conveyancing fees for a standard freehold purchase run from £800 to £1,800 for the solicitor's professional fee, with disbursements (searches, Land Registry, bank transfer fees) adding £300–£700 on top.
Survey and mortgage fees: default values of £500 and £999 respectively are used as planning estimates. Users should update these to real quotes before relying on totals for offer decisions.
All-in total: the calculator adds property transaction tax, conveyancing fees, survey cost and mortgage/lender fee to produce a total upfront cash estimate. This excludes deposit, mortgage payments and ongoing ownership costs.
Limitations: outputs are planning estimates, not legal tax advice. Edge cases including non-UK resident surcharges, linked transactions, mixed-use properties and complex ownership structures may require different treatment. Confirm final liability with your conveyancer and official HMRC or devolved authority calculators.
Data sources: primary sources are listed on the Sources page. All rates and thresholds are checked at publication and updated when official guidance changes.